ABSTRACT
The essential components of the mitral valve include the fibrous annulus, the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets, the chordae tendinae, and the papillary muscles. Closure of the mitral valve is a complex orchestration of both mechanical and fluid dynamics. The mitral valve is a bicuspid structure separating the left atrium and ventricle. It serves as a unidirectional valve, allowing blood to fill the ventricle during diastole and aiding antegrade ejection of blood through the aorta during systole. Mitral pathology can be degenerative or functional. Functional mitral disease is secondary to extravalvular pathology, as the valve is considered morphologically "normal." Chordae tendinae are fibrous strands originating at the papillary muscle or ventricular wall and inserting into the valve apparatus. Computational simulation and modeling may eventually aid in planning surgical repair and predicting the consequences of the repair method. Finite element analysis is a mathematical method for assessing how objects or materials react to applied forces.
